Fire-resistant, ash-retaining, opentopped jacket for a cigarette



Serial No. 630,528, filed December 26,

Patented Jan. 15, 1%53 3,073,317 FIRE-RESETANT, ASH-RETAINHWG, OPEN- TDPPED JACKET FOR A (IIGATTE vRobert A. Campbell, Oak Park, Iii, assignor of one-tenth to Gadget-Ur-The-Month Club, Inc, North Hollywood,

Cali, a corporation of California Filed July 2, 1959, Ser. No. 824,672 2 Claims. (oi. 131-474 The present invention consists of an improved fireresistant, ash-retaining jacket for a cigarette which is open topped along the length thereof prior to insertion thereinto of the ignitable end of a cigarette and a substantial intermediate portion of the body of a cigarette extending from the ignitable end to a location adjacent a mouthengageable end of a cigarette, after Which it Will act to enclose and retain cigarette ashes produced by the ignited end so that they will not fall into undesired areas. Also, the jacket acts to prevent the ignited end of the cigarette from accidentally coming into contact with anything which might become accidentally ignited thereby, and thus prevents accidental fires as a result of cigarette smok ing. It should be noted that this application is a continuation-in-part of my parent co-pending patent application,

1956, which subsequently on August 25, 1959, issued as US. Patent No. 2,900,987.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described above including a jacket of porous fire-resistant material adapted to be curved into a partially circular cross-sectional configuration terminating in two top longitudinal edges separated from each other and effectively defining therebetween a longitudinal open region along the top of the jacket. The jacket is provided with an open rear end and is adapted to receive therethrough and to retain a portion of a cigarette body with the ignitable forward end positioned adjacent to and effectively within the forward end of the jacket and with a rear or mouth-engageable end of the cigarette projecting a short distance rearwardly beyond the open rear end of the jacket.

It is afurther object to provide a device of the character set forth in any of the preceding objects, which is of extremely simple, cheap, foolproof disposable throwaway construction such as to be conducive to widespread use of the device.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, several exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying drawings, and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a longitudinal substantially rectangular panel of fire-resistant material of which one specific form of the jacket of the present invention is adapted to be made.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one particular form of jacket of the present invention, which is adapted to be made from the panel shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2, but with the cigarette being shown in solid form rather, than in phantom form, as shown iii-FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of thearrows 4T4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view slightly displaced forwardly from the plane of FIG. 5, but illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrates another slightly modified form of the invention. In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 in complete form, and in FIG. 1 in preliminary form, the invention is illustrated in one specific exemplary embodiment as comprising a jacket, indicated generally at to, which is adapted to be made out of the longitudinal substantially rectangular panel, indicated generally at it? in FIG. 1, which is made of porous fire-resistant material such as matted or woven glass fibers, ceramic fibers, perforated aluminum foil, or other heatresistant materials of a porous nature or equivalent porous materials such as perforated aluminum foil, or the like, with the longitudinal rectangular panel lid having a front end 11 transversely provided with a strip of adhesive material 12 carried on the upper surface thereof as viewed in FIG. 1, and with the substantially rectangular longitudinal panel it? having a rear end 13 transversely provided with a strip 14 of adhesive material extending across said upper surface of the panel 1d, and with opposite side edges 15 and 16 of the longitudinal substantially rectangular panel 14 being provided with longitudinal strips 17 and id, respectively, of adhesive material.

It should be noted that the formed jacket 10', in the version of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 25, is made by longitudinally centrally symmetrically folding the forward end it of the panel 10 shown in PEG. 1 and adjacent parts of the intermediate portion 1 of said panel in a manner whereby to move similar opposed half portions of the front adhesive strip of material 12 of the panel it of FIG. 1 into adhesive juxtaposition and fixed engagement, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 at 12 whereby to produce a flat spatulate closed forward end, indicated generally at 20, of the jacket, indicated generally at he. It should be noted that the intermediate portion 19 of the flat panel to of P16. 1 then assumes a substantially semi-cylindrical form, as indicated at 19 in FIGS. 2 and 3, With the side edges 15 and 16 of the substantially rectangular panel ll) of FIG. 1 being positioned in circular opposition as indicated at 15 and la in FIGS. 2 and 3 and eifectively defining therebetween along the top of the entire jacket it? a longitudinal open region, indicated generally at 21, extending from the closed end 2%? to the rear open semi-cylindrical end indicated generally at 22, which is defined by the rear end 13 of the rectangular panel 10 of FIG. 1 when it assumes the semicylindrical form shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

It will be noted that a cigarette, such as is indicated generally at 23 in phantom in FIG. 2 and in solid lines in FIGS. 3 and 5, is adapted to have its ignitable end 24 positioned within the substantially cylindrical or U-shaped cross-section of the jacket ltl' immediately behind the closed forward end 23 thereof and is adapted to have a substantial part of the longitudinal intermediate body portion 25 of the cigarette 23 positioned within the intermediate portion 19" of the jacket It)" with only the short part of the cigarette 23 adjacent the mouth-engageable end 26 thereof extending rearwardly beyond the open rear end 22 of the jacket iii. It should be noted that the adhesive strip 14 at the rear of the rectangular panel 16 0f FIG. 1 effectively comprises an adhesive retaining band, designated by the reference numeral 14' in FIGS. 2 and 5, which is adhesively affixed to the exterior of the cigarette 23 whereby to positively and firmly fix the open rear end 220i the jacket it? to the cigarette.

It should also be noted that the adhesive strips 17 and 18 of the rectangular panel 16 of FIG. 1, in the com pletely formed jacket, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, are designated by reference numerals 17' and 318' and are adapted to be adhesively fastened to corresponding longitudinal strips along the length of the cigarette 23 in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 whereby to firmly attach sub stantially the entire length of the jacket 19" to the cigarette 23.

In the specific form of the invention illustrated in FEGS. 2-5, flat tab 27 carried by the rear end 13 of the panel 10 of FIG. 1 (which may comprise a handling tab or a combination handling tab, separator element, and supporting prop in those forms of the invention where a plurality of flat panels 1d are stored in closely adjacent but adhesively separated relationship) is bent downwardly to comprise a supporting prop or tab indicated by the reference numeral 27' in FIGS. 2 and 5, adapted to make contact with an underlying supporting surface, such as is indicated fragmentarily at 23, whereby to support the mouth-engageable end 26 of the cigarette 23 out of contact with the underlying supporting surface 28, and also whereby to effectively park or temporarily position the entire device on the supporting surface 23 in a safe manner until the smoker desires to again smoke the cigarette; it being noted that the closed forward end 2i) prevents the ignited tip 2- and/or any ashes produced thereby, from coming into contact with the underlying supporting surface 28, thus preventing accidental ignition of the supporting surface 23, or the soiling thereof by any inadver tently dropped ashes.

It should be noted that the porous fire-resistant material of which the jacket iii is made prevents any accidental fires while allowing the passage of sufiicient air to very easily maintain combustion of the ignited tip 24.

It should be noted that, in one modified form of the invention, as illustrated in fragmentary form in FIG. 6, the longitudinal strips of adhesive material 17 and 18' comprising a part of the first form of the invention illustrated in FZGS. 25 are eliminated, and an adhesive retaining band means MA similar to that shown at 14 in FIGS. 2 and 5 in the first form of the invention, is the only positive retainer for the cigarette 23A. It should be noted also that the modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 6 is shown in a form where it does not include a projecting tab means similar to that shown at 27 in FIGS. 2 and 5, although this modification of the invention may be provided With such a projecting tab means, if desired.

It should be noted that FIG. 7 illustrates a further modification of the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 6 wherein the adhesive retaining band 14B comprises a separate strip of thin-sheet, fire-resistant, nonporous material carried inside of the open rear end and having upper end portions of sufficient length to extend substantially entirely around the enclosed portion of the cigarette 23B wherebyto effectively provide a snuffer means adapted to inhibit and substantially prevent combustion of the enclosed portion of the cigarette 23B when the ignited end burns down to the enclosed portion lying within the confines of the retaining band and snutfer means 14B. Incidentally, it should be noted that the adhesive-retaining band 1d shown in the first form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 may also, if desired, comprise snuffer means acting at least partially in the manner just described.

The present invention contemplates the pre-forming of each of the jacket panels and securing it, such as by laminating it or adhesively securing it, to the cigarette paper at the time of initial manufacture of the cigarette, or the pre-forming of the jackets and the packaging of a plurality of such pre-forrned jackets in a conveniently available manner for placing on corresponding separately packaged cigarettes at a time that a user desires to smoke one of the cigarettes, or the packaging of a plurality of adhesively coated panel members of the general type shown in FIG. 1 in flat form separated by separator members to prevent adjacent members from adhering to each other. Any individual panel member, such as the exem' plary one shown at in PEG. 1, may be removed from such a package of a plurality of such flat panel members by grasping and pulling the tab 27 of FIG. 1. Then the jacket may be formed from the panel member by folding and forming the adhesively fastened closed end, such as shown at El) in FIGS. 2 and 4, so that the jacket'is ready to receive a cigarette which is to be smoked, or the panel member may be adhesively applied directly to the cigarette whereby to comprise the jacket in mounted relationship.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

i claim:

1. An ash-retaining cigarette-receiving jacket formed from a rectangular blank of porous fire-resistant material having adhesive strips located along the edge portions of one face thereof, the longer edge portions of said rectangular blank having relatively narrow strips of equal width and the shorter edge portions of said blank having strips of unequal width, each having a width that is greater than the width of said longer edge strips, said jacket having a told at the longitudinal axis at one end portion thereof whereby equal portions of the narrower of said shorter edge strips are placed in confronting relation, the adhesive portion of said edge strip providing sealing means at said one end of the jacket, the other end and the intermediate portion of the jacket being substantially semi-cylindrical in sectional form whereby a lit cigarette may be positioned in the jacket so that the mouthpiece portion of the cigarette may extend outwardly thereof while the lit end may be positioned and held therein by engagement with substantially opposed slde portions of the cigarette and by the widest adhesive strip in engagement with substantially one half the periphery of the cigarette adjacent the mouthpiece portion thereof.

2. The cigarette jacket as recited in claim 1 whereas said cigarette jacket has a foldable projecting handling tab means attached to said jacket thereunder and adjacent to said other end of said jacket for manual deflection into a downwardly directed and extending position underneath said other end of said jacket, said downwardly projecting handling tab means, when manually deflected into a downwardly directed position, elfectively comprising supporting prop means for abutment with an underlying supporting surface for elevating said other end of said jacket and for correspondingly elevating the mouthpiece portion of the cigarette whereby to support the cigarette in an upwardly angularly inclined relationship with said mouthabove an underlying supporting surface I on in an uppermost position freely pro ecting d jacket at a location subpiece porti beyond said other end of sai stantially spaced above said underlying supporting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Oct. 10, 1899 

1. AN ASH-RETAINING CIGARETTE-RECEIVING JACKET FORMED FROM A RECTANGULAR BLANK OF POROUS FIRE-RESISTANT MATERIAL HAVING ADHESIVE STRIPS LOCATED ALONG THE EDGE PORTIONS OF ONE FACE THEREOF, THE LONGER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID RECTANGULAR BLANK HAVING RELATIVELY NARROW STRIPS OF EQUAL WIDTH AND THE SHORTER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLANK HAVING STRIPS OF UNEQUAL WIDTH, EACH HAVING A WIDTH THAT IS GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID LONGER EDGE STRIPS, SAID JACKET HAVING A FOLD AT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AT ONE END PORTION THEREOF WHEREBY EQUAL PORTIONS OF THE NARROWER OF SAID SHORTER EDGE STRIPS ARE PLACED IN CONFRONTING RELATION, THE ADHESIVE PORTION OF SAID EDGE STRIP PROVIDING SEALING MEANS AT SAID ONE END OF THE JACKET, THE OTHER END AND THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE JACKET BEING SUBSTANTTIALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL IN SECTIONAL FORM WHEREBY A LIT CIGARETTE MAY BE POSITIONED IN THE JACKET SO THAT THE MOUTHPIECE PORTION OF THE CIGARETTE MAY EXTEND OUTWARDLY THEREOF WHILE THE LIT END MAY BE POSITIONED AND HELD THEREIN BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSED SIDE PORTIONS OF THE CIGARETTE AND BY THE WIDEST ADHESIVE STRIP IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ONE HALF THE PERIPHERY OF THE CIGARETTE ADJACENT THE MOUTHPIECE PORTION THEREOF. 